Additional Comments - Balls

Instructions - Balls

BALLS - THE PUZZLE GAME
by Simon Carter with ELECTRALYTE
SOFTWARE LTD (programmers of Druid,
Cloud Kingdoms and Warlock.)
Copyright 1992.
This program is SHAREWARE. This
means that if you like this program
you should register, by sending œ5
to the author (me!). Please send
cheques to:-
Simon Carter
111 Corbett Road
Waterlooville
Hants
PO7 5TF
Please write the cheques out to
Simon Carter as well.If you use this
program without registering then I
shall come around to your house and
attach electrodes to various
unmentionable parts of your anatomy!
If you do register then, if you
remember to send your address, you
will get a number of wonderful
freebies. These include - a levels
editor for BALLS, at least one set
of extra levels for BALLS, the
original STOS source code for BALLS,
a very fast and versatile Kinetic
Line Generator written in C, the C
source code for the Kinetic Line
Generator and the STOS source code
for my 3D Landscape Generator (the
compiled version of which was
published on a previous Atari ST
User.) You may also get instuctions
for how to include your own floor
graphics within balls, and a new
verion of the game that has a
number of extras. I will probably
throw in a couple of other things as
well. So for your fiver you get
plenty. I'll send the stuff off to
you as soon as possible, after
receiving your registration.
When copying this game (you are
free to do so, as long as those
taking a copy register as well)
please copy the entire folder which
should include - STFBALLS.PRG,
LEVELS.MBK and BALLINST.DOC.
BALLS INSTRUCTIONS
This game is very simple to
play. The idea is to guide one or
more balls around the top-view
screen, picking up all of the orange
pods, and then allowing just one of
the balls to get to an exit. This
must be made within a certain time
limit, and without touching the
deadly spikes - if just one ball
bursts, you lose one of your 5 lives
and you must start the screen from
the beginning. The only way you may
effect a ball is by placing a mirror
down in front of it, using the
cursor. The left mouse button places
a / mirror, whilst the right button
places a \ mirror. Once placed a
mirror cannot be moved - however you
may change it to either type of
mirror by clicking on it, though
this freezes the cursor for a little
while.
There are a number of tiles
that effect the ball - permanent
mirrors (green and white / and \),
spikes (orange and black spiky
bits), angle rotators (yellow globes
with arrows on), destroyable blocks
(transparent squares), permanent
blocks (blue squares), random angle
turners (green and black
crossroads), speed increasers and
decreasers (red + and - signs),
teleporters (green funnels), one way
blocks (blue globes with black
arrows), plus a number of others.
The graphics are of a high standard
(ie I did not draw them!) so
everything is very clear.
The time limit is displayed at
the bottom, in the form of a
coloured bar. When you first start
the level the bar grows until it
covers most of the bottom of the
screen. During this time you are
free to think about the screen,
since the balls have not yet been
€released. After it has reached it
maximum point (which will happen
prematurely if you press the space
bar), the balls are generated, and
the bar starts to decrease. If it
disappears altogether, you lose a
life and begin the screen again.
Escape quits the game, and
takes you back to the title screen.
A pause mode will beincluded
in a version of the game sent to
those who have registered.
There are 32 screens, but after
completing a few levels you will get
a password, allowing access to a
later level - no need to start from
the beginning. In order to use a
password, just type it in on the
title screen - backspace deletes a
mistake. This set of levels is
fairly easy, designed to simply get
you used to the game.
I hope you enjoy this game, I
have made it as professional as
possible, within the limitations of
512k and STOS (a rather nasty
combination.)
Please do register, let's show
those commercial computer companies
that we can live without them. I
could have put this game on a budget
label with some company, but I
wanted to give something to the
computing industry, not take as much
as possible like most commercial
companies. Professional software for
a low price is possible - and this
program proves it. Where else will
you get a disk full of otherwise
unavailable freebies just for paying
for a game? Long live Jeff Minter,
who has proven that there is still a
feeling of friendliness in the
software industry - show me any
other media, other than Shareware,
that allows this.
Thanks, I depend on your
honesty - you can depend on mine.
Simon Carter 1993
ELECTRALYTE SOFTWARE LTD